Epictetus Discourses 3.5 - To those who leave because of illness

To those who leave school because of illness

One of Epictetus' students is ill and wants to go home; Epictetus teaches him an important lesson: "if your ruling centre can't be kept in accord with nature, your little piece of land at least could be.  You'll add to your small store of cash, look after your father in his old age, hang around in the marketplace, hold public office; and being of bad character, you'll do everything else badly" (v. 3, p. 153).  His point being, if the student (us) cannot first control our ruling center, then we won't do anything else, no matter what we focus on, well.

While some want to die in the act of enjoying something they love (i.e. racing, travelling, etc), Epictetus wants to die in the act of improving his character.





He wants to be:
unperturbed
unhindered
unconstrained
free

If he falls ill, he will do so without complaining.

He will always have a smile on his face; ready to accept any fate assigned to him; being full of gratitude; willing to see and appreciate all of God's works and accept God's "governing order" (see v. 9-10, p. 154).

Socrates said, "As one person rejoices in improving his land, and another his horse, so I rejoice day by day in observing that I myself am becoming better" ... never finding "fault with anyone, whether god or human being, and never [reproaching] anyone, and always [having] the same expression on [my] face (v. 14-16, p. 154).

"Who of you sets this as his purpose, then?  Because if you did, you'd willingly undergo illness, hunger, and death" (v. 18, p. 154).

Epictetus Discourses 2.6 - About indifference

Of indifference in things

Discourses 2.6 feels like a continuation of 2.5, in that he continues to talk about things that should be indifferent to us.

"Life is indifferent, but the use that one makes of it is not" (v. 1, p. 81).

If you recall from 2.5, Epictetus distinguishes between the platform and equipment from what we do on the platform and with the equipment.  One of the best examples I can think of that demonstrates this concept is found in Ender's Game.  If you're not familiar with the book or movie, I'm sure you can find a good summary of them on Wikipedia or YouTube.  Ender Wiggins is sent to battle school.  In the school, the students practice war games.  Virtually everything is done to make it un-fair for Ender.  But he consistently controls the one thing he can: his attitude.  The platform (the battle school, as well as the practice battle ground) are indifferent to him.  By use of creativity and team work, he is able to use the seemingly un-fair disadvantages thrown at him, to his advantage.  Also, while in battle school, Ender is given a computer tablet with games on it.  Again, the tablet represents a platform that is out of his control.  Through his reasoning and creativity, he is able to learn amazing things about himself via this tablet.

So too, life is a platform.  The events in it, from traffic, accidents, illness, weather events and what other people say or do, are all things out of our control.  How we interact and use the platform to demonstrate our attitude and virtues, is what matters (virtue is the sole good).

"Always remember what is your own and what is not, and you'll never be troubled" says Epictetus (v. 8, p. 81).

We ought to work to get to the point (mentally speaking) where what happens in the universe is exactly what we wish for.  "If I, in fact, knew that illness had been decreed for me at this moment by destiny, I would welcome even that" (v. 10, p. 82).  What an amazing attitude!  Many of us wring our hands and moan about things that happen, which we interpret to be bad.  But what if the universe wanted those things to happen, in order to bring about something greater?  That is an attitude we could embrace if we so chose.  If the event is going to happen either randomly or with intent by the universe, it still is going to happen.  What's left is our choice of attitude about the event.  If we so choose to view it as fated, intended by the Universe or God, then it may change our perspective and attitude.  Alternatively, we could choose an attitude of "this sucks!  The universe is always out to get me; why try?"  But that does not seem so very productive to me, rather, "we suffer our lot with tears and groans" (v. 16, p. 82).

"Can anyone compel you to think anything other than what you want to think?" (v. 21, p. 83).  Really take the time to think about that question and decide your answer and what that means.

"Just remember the distinction that must be drawn between what is yours and what is not yours.  Never lay claim to anything that is not your own.  An orator's platform and a prison are two different places, one high and the other low; but your choice can be kept the same in either place, if you want to keep it so" (v. 24-25, p. 83).

Epictetus Discourses 1.20 - How reason is able examine itself

How the reasoning faculty contemplates itself

"The art of leather-working concerns itself with hides, but the art itself is altogether different from its material, the hides, and for that reason can't take itself as an object of examination."

In other words, the art of leather-work, works on, examines, and uses hides.  The art of leather-work is not focused on, working on, or examining itself.

On the other hand, the art of reason and wisdom can and does work on, examine and use themselves, and their opposites.  These things are unique to humans - this is "our nature" or how we were designed.  This is essentially the work and object of philosophy.

"the most important task of a philosopher, and his first task, is to test out impressions and distinguish between them, and not to accept any impressions unless it has been duly tested" (v. 7, p. 47).

Epictetus talks about how people used to test coinage, to determine if it was real or fake and how they would have to develop a musician's ear to detect the slightest differences.  He then says, "in matters where we think it makes a notable difference whether or not we go astray, we apply considerable attention to judging things that are liable to lead us astray; but when it comes to this poor ruling center of ours, we yawn and slumber, and accept any impression that comes along.  For it doesn't occur to us that we'll suffer any damage as a result" (v. 10-11, p. 47).

This is a very important point he makes!  We go to great lengths to ensure our coinage and dollar system is real and not fake.  We've implemented an entire governmental system to ensure the integrity of our dollars.  Yet, we barely make any effort to examine and confront impressions that come into our minds.  Rather, we prefer to be tossed and thrown about by any event and impression that comes our way.

Someone cuts us off in traffic ... we fly into a rage!  Someone breaks into our home and burglarizes us ... we feel sad, violated and insecure.  We develop a heart condition ... we think "wo is me!  my life is ruined; it's over!" and we pity ourselves.  A manager has a bad day and takes it out on us ... we berate her behind her back and we feel upset.  We find out we've been lied to by people we've trusted for so long ... we feel betrayed and bitter.

We fail to examine our impressions and we let them disturb us!  But we don't have to!  Events may happen and impressions may come, but we have the power of assent!

Someone cuts us off in traffic, we can think of reasons why maybe they are in a hurry, but there is no reason to be upset.  Someone steals from you, then they've stolen from you.  Do what you must to reclaim your possessions, but no reason to be upset.  Take precautions to protect your home and be at peace.  We develop a heart condition, but we already knew these things were out of our control, now we have to simply accept our fate and do what we must to ensure good health.  A manager is upset with you, do what must be done to correct anything that needs to be corrected and give her the benefit of the doubt - she may simply be hungry!  We've been lied to, no need to be upset, but learn who you can trust and cannot trust.  Work with those who you can trust, don't work with those who you cannot trust; no need to feel bitter.

This is the most important art in life - the examination of impressions.  This is learning and practicing the Stoic art of the Discipline of Assent.  It "requires long preparation, and no end of effort and study" but "do you really expect to master the most important of the arts with little effort?"

We have to do the heavy mental lifting if we expect results.

Stoic Week 2018: Friday

Morning Reflection
It isn’t the things themselves that disturb people, but the judgements that they form about them. Death, for instance, is nothing terrible, or else it would have seemed so to Socrates too; no, it is in the judgement that death is terrible that the terror lies. Accordingly, whenever we are impeded, disturbed or distressed, we should never blame anyone else but only ourselves, that is, our judgements. It is an act of a poorly educated person to blame others when things are going badly for him; one who has taken the first step towards being properly educated blames himself, while one who is fully educated blames neither anyone else nor himself.
– Epictetus, Handbook, 5

Mid-day Reflection
Take 5-10 minutes and sit quietly, thinking of occasions in the recent past when you reacted in a ‘passionate’ way (attaching value to things like fame and prosperity), and also on occasions when you reacted with a ‘good emotion’, remembering that what matters most is acting virtuously.

Perhaps for about 15 years after graduating from college and engaging in the "rat race" of "climbing to the top" at work, I focused a lot on chasing happiness by pursuing things that were largely out of my control.  I bought into the concept that rank, power, status, authority would bring me happiness.  I was able to achieve a lot of those things, but many times I failed to attain them.  Consequently, my mental health and inner disposition would rise and fall and turn like a roller coaster.

Eventually, I came to learn these things don't matter or matter much less than I placed value in them.  I learned that I could be content in any situation and this was largely due to the writings of Marcus Aurelius and Epictetus.

I used to be upset when unexpected events occurred and when I had to do something I didn't want to.  Now I roll with the flow and focus on my ability to choose how I view events.

A similar thought is encapsulated with a Charles Swindoll quote:

The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company...a church...a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past...we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you. We are in charge of our attitudes.

Evening Reflection
So reflect on this: the result of wisdom is stability of joy. The wise person’s mind is like the superlunary heaven: always peaceful. So you have this reason to want to be wise, if wisdom is always accompanied by joy. This joy has only one source: an awareness of the virtues. A person is not capable of joy unless he is brave, unless he is just, unless he has self-control.
– Seneca, Letters, 59.16

Did your emotions today express an attempt to respond virtuously and what could you do to make this happen tomorrow and to experience the ‘joy’ that Seneca describes?

Detached observation - that is the most succinct way I can describe how to control my attitude and emotions.  I don't always succeed, but the more I practice it, the more slow I am to react to things (events, peoples' words and emotions).